UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. KANSAS STATE
NCAA TOURNAMENT | PHILIPS ARENA| ATLANTA
MARCH 22, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 15,616
 
Final Score: No. 9 Kansas State 61, No. 5 Kentucky 58
                                                             
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky finished the season 26-11 overall. Kansas State is 25-11.
• UK leads the series 9-1 and 2-1 in the NCAA Tournament.

 
NCAA Tournament Notes

• Kentucky made its national-record 57th NCAA Tournament, extending the NCAA record for most tournament appearances.
• UK owns a 126-51 record all-time in NCAA action.
  • UK has made 26 Sweet 16 appearances since 1975, when the NCAA officially started tallying Sweet 16 appearances.
• Kentucky is 28-7 in NCAA Tournament games under John Calipari.
• Kentucky is 6-1 in Sweet 16 games under Calipari.
• UK had won eight straight in the round of 16.
• Kentucky was a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second time and first time since 2000.
  • UK is 3-2 as a No. 5 seed.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Nick Richards for the 17th time this season. UK was 11-6 with this lineup.
• Kansas State started the game on a 7-0 run.
  • Kansas State led 13-1 at the 16:33 mark, forcing Calipari to take a timeout.
  • Kansas State was 3 of 4 from the 3-point-line at that mark, while UK started 0 of 4 from the field.
• UK answered with a 9-0 run over 4:21.
  • Kansas State went 0 of 8 from the field between the 15:27 and 11:10 marks.
• Kansas State led 26-19 at the under-four timeout with 3:17 to play.
  • At that point UK was on a 2:01 scoring drought and had missed eight straight field-goal attempts.
• UK’s shot 26 percent (6 of 23) in the first half. It was its worst first-half shooting since the Feb. 3 Missouri game when UK shot 20 percent.
• Gilgeous-Alexander, Knox and Gabriel, three of Kentucky’s top-four postseason scorers, were a combined 4 of 16 from the field in the first half, yet UK trailed by just four points at halftime.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky scored the first four points to tie the game for the first time at 33-33 with 18:50 to play.
• Quade Green hit a 3-pointer to give UK its first lead, 36-35, with 17:21 remaining.
• Kansas State went on a 9-0 run over 1:25 to take 47-38 lead with 13:17 remaining.
• Kentucky used a 10-2 run over 3:44 to take a 55-54 lead with 4:02 to play.
• Kansas State closed the game on a 7-3 run.

Team Notes

• Kentucky scored a season-low 58 points.
  • UK’s 16 made field goals were a season low.
  • UK’s 42 field-goal attempts tied its season low, with the other occasion being the SEC semifinal against Alabama.
  • Kansas State’s 61 points tied four other opponents for the fewest scored against UK this year.
• UK’s six assists tied a season low, the other game being a March 3 loss at Florida.
• Kentucky’s 37 free-throw attempts were its second most of the year.
• Kansas State committed 30 fouls, three more than the next most by a UK opponent this year.
• Kentucky limited Kansas State to 35.2 percent from the field.
  • UK is now 169-15 under Calipari when keeping the opponent under 40 percent from the field.

• Kansas State’s Xavier Sneed made five 3-pointers. Six 3s is the most a UK opposing player has made in a NCAA Tournament game. It has occurred five times, last by John Axel Gudmundsson of Davidson in the NCAA Tournament first round last Thursday.
  • He fouled out with 1:14 to play.

 
Player Notes  

• PJ Washington scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

  • His 15 rebounds were a career high.
  • He tied his career-high with three steals.
  • It was his team leading third double-double of the season.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished five assists.
  • He scored 13 points in the first half, reaching double figures in the first 20 minutes for the sixth time in the last eight games.
    • He’s scored 10 or more in 10 first halves this season.
    • He made just 1 of 7 field goals in the first half, going 11 of 12 from the free-throw line.
  • He played a career-high 39 minutes for the sixth time.
  • He made 11 free throws, one shy of his career-high.
• Kevin Knox scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

 
Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 719-204 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 275-64 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 53-18 in the NCAA Tournament games.
• Calipari is 28-7 in NCAA Tournament games at UK.